Fate and Vampire
by BloodRavenFan
Summary: Something goes wrong during Sakura's summoning ritual...or does it? A different Rider is summoned, and while not exactly evil, this Rider has somewhat sinister abilities, and is quite ruthless in her methodology.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Chapter 1: A Girl and a Vampire

"Hmm…I'm impressed Sakura." Zouken said with a rare tone of approval in his voice. "It would seem you've summoned a Sabre."

And by all appearances, she had: the woman who had appeared and now stood in the middle of the summoning circle had a sword sheathed at her side, though it was partially obscured by the greatcoat she was wearing.

"My class is Rider, actually." The Servant corrected the old man with a cool note of aristocratic disdain running through her voice. It suited her well, for she looked the part of a noble, her pale white skin and long black hair accentuating the ruby-like red of her irises. Even her business-like clothes – a white, long sleeved and collared shirt, black pants, boots, necktie, vest and greatcoat – simply reinforced her appearance as a no-nonsense noblewoman.

"Rider…I suppose that's not a bad class. She should be pretty useful, and in more ways than one." Shinji conceded, leering at the Servant before turning to Sakura. "Now, hurry up and…"

Before he could finish, a velvet-gloved fist smashed into his face, breaking his nose and sending him tumbling to the ground. Before he could recover, a boot slammed down onto his chest, pinning him to the ground gasping for breath.

"I did not give you leave to speak." Rider snarled dangerously, what little light in the room glinting dangerously off of her exposed fangs. "Know your place, and remember it; next you speak out of turn, I shall see to it that your tongue is torn out of your mouth, and you be staked out for the carrion birds to feast upon. Do I make myself clear, you pathetic worm?"

As Shinji frantically nodded in acknowledgement with eyes filled with terror, Sakura stepped back in alarm at her Servant's vicious nature while Zouken merely smirked with sinister approval.

* * *

About an hour later, Zouken cursed that decision in hindsight as he paused for breath some distance from his house. The first sentiment of trouble was Rider's refusal to cede command from Sakura to Shinji, to the point of almost drawing her sword to argue the matter. And while Zouken was many things, he was no fool. He knew that if the issue was pressed, Rider could kill Shinji and end the discussion in a painfully – but admittedly satisfying – direct fashion before anyone could do anything about it. So he had conceded to allow Sakura to remain in command of the vampire-servant…only for things to get worse. While he had gone to find something or someone to feed on, Rider had brutally torn out the worm housing his soul from her chest with her claws, and then draining not just the magical energy but even the life force of the worms inside the girl, turning them into harmless dust that would be filtered out of the body by her own natural processes. Before the girl could bleed to death from the horrific wound in her chest, Rider had healed her with magic of the darkest kind, so much so that even Zouken himself had shrunk back from the potency of the words spoken by the vampire-servant and the shadows coiling around her. Rider then finished her little coup by chasing him out of his home with man-sized un-dead wolves.

While Zouken had initially been puzzled by the apparent inability of Angra Mainyu to corrupt the vampire-servant, it made sense in hindsight. Rider appeared to be a vampire, or to be specific, a Dead Apostle. If so, then some fragment of the Crimson Moon was part of her. Even if Angra Mainyu was all the evil in the world, not even it could corrupt something not of this world.

Zouken's musings on the matter broke off as several daggers flew out of the night with incredible speed. The old man seemed to manage to dodge them with surprising ease…only for an expression of horror to dawn on his face when he realized that the daggers weren't aimed at him, but at his shadow. Correction, not just any daggers: Black Keys.

"Well, well, well, Zouken Matou." Kotomine Kirei greeted the old man as he walked within earshot and came into view, his hands clutching more Black Keys. "Imagine my surprise when I saw you getting chased from your own house by those monstrous wolf parodies…it seems that you've bitten off more than you can chew this time if you could not control whatever Servant your precious 'granddaughter' summoned. But for that, I am most grateful; I now have the chance to correct a serious error. Your continued existence, that is…"

* * *

Rider carried the ashen-faced and shaken Sakura into her room bridal style, laying her down gently onto her bed. "My apologies for traumatizing you so, my lady; had there been any other option, I'd have considered it."

Sakura shook her head and smiled softly before replying "There's no need to apologize, Rider. I feel much better now. Thank you." She wasn't lying either. While her chest still hurt from Rider violently tearing out the worm housing her grandfather's soul, the unclean desires his familiars had cursed her with were gone. She could rest now.

Rider smiled back, before walking over to her cabinet and after shuffling through her clothes for a short while, came back with a clean set of bed clothes. For a moment, Sakura wondered just who Rider was, seeing as she seemed to know her way around the house; she didn't have any time to further consider the thought when Rider helped her up to a sitting position and to change her clothes. And with good reason too, seeing as her blouse had a bloody hole punched right through it.

Once she had finished changing, Rider helped her lie back down and tucked her in. "Now, rest my lady. You have matters to attend to tomorrow."

"Yes…you're right. Good night, Rider." Sakura said, allowing sleep to begin to wash over her at last. Nodding, Rider turned to walk back out of her room, closing the door behind her before walking back down to the dungeons, shadows coiling around her. An un-dead wolf slunk out of the magical, unnatural twilight shrouding her, and she reached down with a hand and stroked the monstrous beast between its ears.

Finally arriving at her destination, she gazed impassively down at the pit wherein countless worms writhed together. The un-dead wolf went to growl at a glowing orb of energy hanging in the air off to a corner, in the middle of which another worm, larger than the other worms and giving off a palpable air of malevolence, floated. "Hush, boy." Rider admonished, stretching out her arms over the pit, claws extended, and the creature ceased its growls and returned to its mistress' side. "Pathetic creatures…" Rider sneered. "…perhaps I may have use for you."

She began to chant words in a language long since forgotten and cursed by men, causing the very air to recoil and shift as she called upon forbidden powers. The candles and torches in the chamber flickered and died, the only light left the one coming from Zouken's prison. Tendrils of shadow reached out from her claws and down into the pit; wherever the tendrils went, worms shrivelled and crumbled into dust, drained not just of magical power but also of their very life force. Rider ignored the faint touch of Zouken's consciousness on her mind as she fed on his familiars; if the corruption that had once lurked in her Master's veins could not taint her, what could a mere mortal – albeit a centuries-old magus – ever hope to achieve against a scion of the Crimson Moon like herself? It would be like a man trying to lift a mountain, a sentiment proven as the unearthly power in her flowed and burned away the whispers of the fallen magus.

Rider's chanting continued, shadows flowing in a twilit mist around her, around the chamber, and down into the pit through the tunnels running beneath the Matou Manor and Estate, killing all it touched. As all trace of life in that place was snuffed out, and the shadows recoiled and wrapped themselves protectively around their mistress, Rider turned, her eyes gleaming like gemstones, and stormed back up to the house in black fury.

* * *

"You have poor taste, do you know that, you false priest?"

Kirei turned from the pool of gore that had once been Zouken Matou to look at the blonde eight year old sitting on the railing behind him. "I'm surprised you would say something like that." He replied with a chuckle.

"Don't patronize me. I'm not my…older self. Seriously, I'm surprised my mother didn't do something drastic given his…my…attitude. Oh wait, she did…" Gilgamesh paused as he remembered his one and only friend, before shaking his head and continuing. "Couldn't you have finished him in a less gruesome fashion?" Gilgamesh asked crossly.

"Perhaps…but it would have been less amusing if I had done so." Kirei replied, causing the little boy to scowl.

"First you backstab that poor Irishwoman and now this? Granted, the monster deserved to die, but this is a little…too much. I'm gone." Gilgamesh said, getting down and stalking off.

"Where are you going?" Kirei asked, genuinely curious. Gilgamesh would normally be quite predictable, but his child-form was an entirely different matter.

"I'm going to go and wait for Sabre to arrive." The boy king shot back as he walked away. "Maybe she can find a way to keep me from becoming…well, myself, I suppose."

* * *

"Stop this…brother…" Sakura protested weakly, struggling against Shinji as he held her down. Snarling, Shinji brutally backhanded her, snapping out "Shut up! You'll do what I tell you to do!" With a depraved expression on his face, he tore her blouse open, and groped her breasts through her bra. Tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, Sakura stopped struggling, withdrawing into herself like she always did whenever her brother abused her.

Seeing Sakura submit, Shinji sat up and began to fumble with his pants…when all of a sudden he felt someone grab him by the back of his collar and hurl him out through the open door to slam against the hallway wall with enough force to daze him. "My apologies for allowing this piece of refuse to enter your chambers and to trouble your sleep, my lady…" Rider said, bowing low in apology. "…allow me to deal with this matter for you." Without waiting for a response, Rider strode out of Sakura's room, closing the door behind her and leaving Sakura to pull herself back together on her own.

Rider looked around her and spotted Shinji desperately running away down the hallway. Snorting derisively, the vampire-servant moved like the wind and cut off the would-be rapist, lifting him off the ground with a choke hold and causing him to fearfully fumble with her hand.

"Death would be a mercy wasted on scum like you…" Rider whispered lovingly, as her other hand reached down and behind her; Shinji's eyes bulged in terror as said hand drew a long-bladed dagger, its sharp edges glinting dangerously. Cruelly smiling at the boy's terrified expression, Rider purred "…behold: my swift and just retribution for your crimes."

* * *

Sakura had just finished changing her clothes when she heard a bloodcurdling scream through her door and down the hallway. For a moment, she felt the urge to run and stop Rider from hurting her brother…but after moment, she simply returned to and laid herself down on her bed. "_Rider…_" she silently commanded her Servant as she pulled the covers over herself. "_...don't kill my brother. Do what you want to him, but don't kill him. Please…_"

* * *

Rider was wiping the blood off of her dagger when she heard Sakura's command. "_As you command, my Master._" She thought back, before sheathing her dagger behind her, then pulled off her bloody gloves and threw them down on the moaning and bloody boy on the ground before her. Pulling on a fresh pair of gloves, she swiftly cast her healing spells; calling it 'healing' though would be rather inaccurate, as it involved killing any disease-causing micro-organisms and accelerating the growth of new cells and/or scar tissue. "Rejoice boy, for I have seen fit to spare your life." She said with a cruel smile; considering what she had just done to him, it would be a wonder if the boy would ever be thankful for her 'mercy'.

* * *

Kotomine Kirei was in mixed spirits as he returned to his church. On one hand, he had obtained a Servant and could now participate as a Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War, but on the other it seemed that Gilgamesh had overdosed on his potion of youth and as a result had been unable to return to his adult form in time for the war. "_Well, if he does find Sabre and she manages to rein him in, I suppose it would be interesting to see how much the King of Heroes would change._" He thought to himself.

Of more concern to him were those un-dead wolves that had pursued Zouken Matou as he fled his house. The wolves were massive, each the size of a man, tattered flesh hanging from cracked bones, eyes glowing and bodies wreathed with necromantic energies. He had ambushed the wolves – ironically helping that accursed magus to escape – striking them down with precise strikes with his Black Keys, causing them to dissolve into coiling clouds of twilight that quickly faded away.

Necromancy…this was most troublesome for him. It would seem that Zouken's granddaughter had summoned either a Dead Apostle or a Necromancer for a Servant. It didn't surprise him, not really, considering the corruption of the Holy Grail, but still…one good thing that can be said about this was that Zouken's soul was probably a prisoner of said Servant, assuming it hadn't already been used to fuel dark sorceries.

"Hey, you dirty priest." Lancer said as he arrived. The blue-clad Servant was looking extremely irritated, which was to be expected given that Kirei had literally backstabbed his previous Master and stolen her Command Spells. "That place you sent me to look over stinks of black magic. There are wolves, or rather, things that look like wolves prowling the grounds, and probably worse things lying around in wait. Whichever Servant lives there is nasty stuff…I wonder if they can put up a good fight for all that." Lancer reported to Kirei, his face looking thoughtful and somewhat eager as he said the last part.

"I see…" Kirei responded with a nod. "_So, the Matou Servant truly is a Necromancer…this Fifth Holy Grail War is shaping up to be interesting. I hope that girl can restrain her Servant, otherwise I'll have to take steps myself._"

* * *

The following morning, Sakura woke up early and quickly finished her morning routine: a quick shower and change into her school uniform. At first she was puzzled as to why she was so energetic that morning, until she remembered that Rider had torn out the Matou familiars from her. Wincing at the memories – especially the part where the Servant had all but torn her heart out – she went to check up on her brother. She found him huddled up in his room, sitting naked on his bed wrapping the sheets around him, muttering indistinctly with his eyes empty and hollow. Resisting the urge to enter his room and talk to him – he might get violent and who knew what Rider would do to him if he tried to hurt her again – she quietly closed the door and quickly went to look for Rider, as she needed to go and make breakfast for her beloved Emiya-senpai.

She found the Servant reclining on an armchair by a window in the library, apparently reminiscing about past memories in the morning sunlight while an open bottle of wine and a used wineglass lay on a nearby table. As she looked at Rider in the sunlight, she was struck by her physical appearance. If not for the red irises and key differences in her facial structure, she could have sworn that she was looking at her own mother. Deciding that Rider's true identity would have to wait, she coughed and immediately blushed as the Servant turned to look at her.

"Good morning, my lady." Rider politely greeted her.

"Good morning, Rider…um…if it's no trouble, would you care to join me and my friends for breakfast?" she asked, fidgeting slightly in embarrassment.

The Servant looked perplexed at her apparent embarrassment, before smiling and briefly closing her eyes and replying "Very well, my lady. If it will not trouble you or your friends, I accept your invitation."

"I-I see…um…about the sunlight…" Sakura began to ask but stopped as Rider chuckled in amusement.

"Rest assured, my lady; while the sunlight makes me somewhat nauseous, it is of no concern." Rider responded as she walked behind her Master to the door. "I will have no trouble in sunlight so long as it does not involve combat."

"I see. Oh, and if it's no trouble, stop calling me 'my lady', and just call me Sakura." Sakura said, though she was surprised by the somewhat lengthy pause that followed.

"As you wish, Sakura…" Rider finally said. "…if I may ask, what is your wish? What would you have the Holy Grail grant you?"

Sakura was silent for a long time before she finally replied "To be honest, it's just a small, but somewhat selfish wish…it won't hurt anyone, but…" She didn't finish, but she didn't have to; through their connection, Rider sensed the aching loneliness and wish for belonging, a wish for a real family, in her Master's heart. She also sensed that she had already given her heart to someone, and would give it to no other.

Nodding, she thought to herself "_Selfish though it may be, for someone who went through what you went through, such a wish is easily understandable and fully justified. I shall to it that your wish be granted, Sakura._"

* * *

A/N

Class: Rider

Master: Sakura Matou

Titles: The Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, the Lady of the Twilight, Princess of Necromancers

Sex: Female

Height/Weight: 159cm/47kg

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: A

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Magical Power: C

Luck: E

Noble Phantasm: A

_**Class Skills**_

Independent Action – C

Rider is capable of remaining in this world for one day without an established contract.

Riding – A

Riding is the ability to ride animals and vehicles.

Creatures on the level of _Phantasmal Beast _and _Divine Beast _can be used as mounts. However, that does not apply to members of the _Dragon Kind_.

Magic Resistance – B

As a Dead Apostle, Rider has strong resistance against the effects of thaumaturgy.

Cancels spells below three verses. Even if targeted by _High-Thaumaturgy _and _Greater Rituals_, it is difficult for her to be affected.

_**Personal Skills**_

Master Necromancer – A+

Rider is a master of the dark art of necromancy.

Rider was known and feared even among her kind for her mastery of necromancy, so much so that at the height of her power not only Necromancers but all magi across the globe considered her as the absolute authority with regards to the lore of death.

_**Noble Phantasms**_

Dragon Fang '_Cursed Sword that Grants the Gift of the Moon Lord_': B

A rune-sword forged as a masterpiece of alchemy, necromancy, and rune-based thaumaturgy. The runes engraved along the blade give the sword immense resilience and cutting power; furthermore, they also allow Dragon Fang to be used an energy conduit. By stabbing the sword into an enemy magus/magical creature or into a ley line, Rider can drain their energy and use it for her own.

Its special ability is triggered by the command 'bestow'. Upon activation, the runes along the blade glow a bright red, and a target is then stabbed and immediately turned into a Dead Apostle. The ability to resist this effect depends on one's magical potential; individuals with a high number/high-quality of magic circuits are capable of resisting the curse if they so choose (it is possible for one to simply not resist and just submit to the curse), though to truly escape its effect Rider must either be exhausted or one resists the curse for a full twenty-four hours. Should a target succeed in escaping the effect, they become immune to Dragon Fang's special ability.

This special ability may not be used against other Dead Apostles, or transcendental beings like Servants and other Heroic Spirits/Counter-Guardians.

The Land of Twilight under the Moon '_Endless Dreams in Moonlight_': EX

Rider's ultimate Noble Phantasm, it is a Reality Marble that embodies her ideal world, a land of moors, lakes, frozen mountains and cold forests under perpetual twilight. In the heart of the domain is her residence, a European manor set in the heart of a forest. Despite being the home of one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, the manor is well-stocked with food, possesses a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home. Should Rider and/or her Master be injured, they may withdraw within the confines of the Reality Marble to recover, though the time they may spend within the pocket reality depends on the energy supply available.

The manor also possesses a library; while this naturally houses Rider's collection of works regarding thaumaturgy in general and necromancy in particular, it also includes a grand collection of ordinary literature, both prose and fiction, as Rider was an avid scholar in her own right.

Also included in the manor are armouries and workshops, and it is here that Rider stores not only her weapons and armour, but also those of her un-dead minions, and it is in these workshops that Rider crafts necromantic weapons and prepares un-dead warriors and beasts for battle.

Projecting the Reality Marble onto the real world, while possible, consumes huge amounts of energy; however, Rider is also capable of partial-projection, which allows her to shroud herself with shadows that give her stealth capabilities surpassed only by the Assassin-class, and to immediately deploy un-dead warriors and beasts onto the real world on a moment's notice.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Chapter 2: Rider Strikes

Shiro Emiya fidgeted as he sat at his own table. The day had started out normally enough, though Sakura had seemed happier and more energetic than usual, and was now cheerfully humming as she kept herself busy in the kitchen. What made him uneasy was the decidedly mature woman sitting at his table.

The Servant had briefly retreated into her Reality Marble shortly before she and her Master had arrived at their destination, and now wore a long sleeved, white blouse over a black, ankle-length skirt and soft leather shoes. And now she sat at the table opposite the master of the house, who she calmly regarded with her red eyes. Which, naturally enough, made Shiro quite nervous. It wasn't like she was threatening him, or looking at him dangerously, but it felt as though she were gauging him, trying to measure his worth, what made him tick, and what could be used to break him.

Finally, the relative silence became too much, and smiling weakly, he said "So…you're Sakura's distant relative, aren't you?"

"I already said that much. Is there any reason you brought it up again?" Rider responded neutrally; taken aback, Shiro dumbly opened and closed his mouth several times before deciding to just keep quiet. After a moment, the door leading into the house slammed open, and a brown-haired woman cheerfully shouted "Shiro! I came to eat!"

"Oh? We have a guest?" the woman said as she entered the dining room, noticing Rider sitting at the table; in response, Rider stood and bowed politely. "Good morning; I am a distant relative of Sakura, who kindly invited me to join you for breakfast. You may call me Rider." She introduced herself.

"Ah, sorry about my rude entrance..." The woman said, smiling and rubbing her head sheepishly. "…my name's Taiga Fujimura, pleased to meet you. Shiro…" Taiga said, turning to address Shiro, who was watching stupefied at how easily she had taken to Rider. "…you should take a leaf from her book and learn something about good manners from her."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, somewhat hurt by what she was implying.

"Well, sometimes you can be a bit informal and impolite."

"Fujimura-sensei…" Sakura chided as she brought food to the table. "…you shouldn't say things like that over the breakfast table."

While Shiro and Taiga good-naturedly squabbled across the table, and Sakura began serving breakfast, Rider picked up the TV remote, and after examining it for several moments – despite centuries of life she had never really gotten very good working with machines – turned the TV on, eventually settling on a soft musical program.

"So, Rider-san…" Taiga said, trying to try and strike up a conversation with the red-eyed woman over breakfast. "…did you come to Fuyuki just to visit your relatives?"

"No…" Rider answered, clearly enjoying both Sakura's cooking as well as eating in the company of others. "…I have some business of my own here as well. It's personal, if you don't mind, so I'd rather not talk about it. My apologies if I seem rude."

"No, it's alright." Taiga assured Rider, her disappointment over her inability to satisfy her curiosity mollified by Rider's politeness. "What is it you do for a living anyway?"

"I'm a historian…" Rider said with a smile; it was true to an extent, seeing as thaumaturgy in general only looked back to the past (unlike science), and she did have eventually get a Master's Degree in History before she became a Dead Apostle. "…I study ancient history among other things."

"Amazing…Fuji-nee's getting along so well with her." Shiro murmured in amazement as the two older women animatedly engaged themselves in a conversation over the most effective means of studying and education. Sakura smiled her agreement, noting how Rider's mask of aristocratic distance melted away to reveal the rather pleasant woman underneath.

The conversation broke off, however, when the musical program on TV was interrupted by a news flash. "We apologize for interrupting our regular program…" the newscaster said. "…however we bring news about a gas leak in Shinto. Police and fire department representatives have just confirmed a major gas leak in an apartment complex…"

"A gas leak…how ominous…" Taiga said, mulling thoughtfully over a cup of tea.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"On the way here, I noticed a lot of police activity close by. And now this gas leak…" Taiga answered, before looking at both Sakura and Shiro. "Be careful, you two. It's probably best if the two of you get home before it gets dark. And I don't mean to sound rude but, I'd say the same for you as well, Rider-san."

"I understand, Fujimura-san." Rider said with a nod. "I'll make sure Sakura's safe at least. Oh that's right, I almost forgot. Seeing as you're a teacher in Sakura and Shinji's school, I might as well inform you; Shinji's come down with something. I don't think he'll be going to school for a while."

"Shinji-kun's sick? Is it serious?" Taiga asked with a mix of surprise and concern.

"No, the doctor said it's not anything serious, though he has to stay home and rest until he gets better." Rider replied, smiling faintly at Sakura slightly raised eyebrow at her words; after all, she was the one responsible for Shinji's current condition, though the bastard did have it coming.

"I see…it's alright then. Wow, look at the time…" Taiga said, looking at the clock and putting down her empty rice bowl and chopsticks. "…I'll be going on ahead then. See you at the school, Sakura-chan, Shiro."

"See you at school, Fuji-nee." Shiro said as his surrogate older sister stood up and gathered her things; in the meantime, Sakura and Rider cleaned up the table, the latter refusing Sakura's insistence that she clean the table on her own.

"_Rider…those gas leaks…could they be the work of a Servant?_" Sakura silently asked her Servant as they carried the dirty things to the sink.

"_More than likely…_" Rider replied in a similar fashion, but couldn't say anything more as Shiro had stood up and put on an apron as well. "Rider-san, you shouldn't do that. You're a guest here, and it feels kind of…well, wrong that you have to do that."

"It's alright, I don't mind." Rider told the boy reassuringly, but Shiro would have none of her protests.

"Alright, I'll be going on ahead then as well…" Rider said, preparing to leave.

"It was nice of you to come over for breakfast, Rider-san." Shiro said. "Perhaps you should join us for dinner as well? Sakura does come and eat here for dinner, after all."

"Hmm…perhaps I'll take you up on that offer." Rider said thoughtfully, before she turned and left. "_Sakura, I'll go and check out that 'police activity' Fujimura-san mentioned. I'll meet up with you in school._"

"_I understand; be careful Rider. If a Servant was behind that too, you might be exposing yourself to danger._" Sakura warned her silently.

"_I'll be in my astral form, in any case._"

"_Alright then…good luck…_"

* * *

Rider walked past the policemen standing guard just outside the yellow line they had set up around the crime scene; in her astral form, she was both invisible and intangible to ordinary Humans, though being a vampire and all, she did cause a certain degree of unease to the more sensitive among those present.

"Hmm…how brutal…" she commented to herself; a family of four cut down the night before during dinner, and by the state of corpses which were just finishing their preliminary examination before being sent to the morgue for further examination, by a long-bladed weapon. "…though to be honest, I'm not really sure I can judge seeing as I do have a sadistic streak of my own…"

Reaching out with her senses, Rider nodded in satisfaction after a few moments, confirming the murder had been done by a Servant. "Sabre or Lancer, probably…" she said, preparing to leave and re-join her Master. While she strongly disapproved of what had happened here, it wasn't like there was anything she could do at that point in time; she'd just have to deal with whoever was behind this when the time came.

* * *

Sakura was climbing the stairs up to her classroom, once again adopting the moody and melancholic persona she used when around relative strangers; turning a corner, she was surprised to see Rider in her astral form, once again wearing the clothes she was wearing when she was first summoned.

"Sakura; I've visited the crime scene, and yes, a Servant was there. From the condition of the bodies, I'd say either Lancer or Sabre was responsible." She reported.

Sakura nodded slightly. "I see…" she whispered. "…did you have something else in mind, Rider?"

"Yes…" the Servant responded. "…I plan to make certain preparations to ensure our victory in this Fifth Holy Grail War."

"Very well…" Sakura approved her Servant's plans. "…but don't attack or involve those who don't need to be involved. I'd rather not use a Command Spell, but I will if I have to."

"I understand; I shall see you tonight then." With a bow, Rider turned and departed…

* * *

…and arrived at her destination within minutes. The park was eerily empty, though that was to be expected, given that it was here that ten years ago the firestorm had exploded outwards and consumed the city of Fuyuki. Materializing and stepping from behind a tree, Rider looked around her, a breeze causing her coat to billow around her; for someone like her, the emotions of all those that died here on that night was as strong as it was ten years ago.

Crouching down to the ground, Rider paused contemplatively; while she could perform the necessary rituals to use the park's nightmarish emanations for her purposes here and now, it would be easier to perform it at night, even if the moon wasn't full. And for another thing, it would also have a reduced chance of detection; even if the park seemed devoid of people, that didn't necessarily mean that no one could see her. But while she wouldn't do anything in the park now, that didn't mean she wouldn't do anything either. Rider scooped up a fistful of dirt, then standing, withdrew into her Reality Marble.

* * *

"Two Servants; are you sure?" Rin asked Archer as they stood on the school roof.

"Yes, two Servants." Archer replied with a nod. "However, one of them left shortly after it arrived; I have two hypotheses regarding that. One, it detected mine and the other Servant's presence and withdrew, or, it was here to simply report to its Master."

"I see…" Rin replied, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "…can you figure out which Servants they were?"

"I cannot…" Archer said. "…but we can rule out Assassin, however, as not even I am capable of piercing his stealth. We may safely assume that they were neither Caster nor Berserker either, as it would be somewhat out of character for either to perform in such a fashion."

"That's true." Rin conceded. "Berserker is difficult enough to control, so its Master would most likely keep it restrained in their hideout, while Caster would prefer to operate from its hideout as much as possible."

"This leaves Rider, Sabre, or Lancer…" Archer continued, nodding in agreement. "…of those, the most dangerous would be Rider, seeing as he or she has a more balanced skill set than all other Servants."

"Hmm…in any case, all we can do for now is to wait for the right time to take action." Rin finally decided, turning away from the railing and heading back into the school. "Let's go, Archer."

* * *

"Senpai is late…" Sakura said worriedly, as she sat down for dinner with Taiga.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you, Sakura-chan." Taiga told her reassuringly. "He probably had something to attend to."

"That's true…" Sakura said, smiling softly at Taiga. "_Rider, be careful._"

* * *

Rider stood in the middle of the park, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlit night. Extending a claw, she cut open her left palm and clenched it tight, held it out in front of her, and let a trickle of blood drip down to the ground while pointing her right index finger up to the sky. "Those who died on this land…" she declared. "…are returning now. Accept my offering of blood…and bow to my will!"

In response to her words, blood began to ooze out from the ground and pool around her feet, and it wasn't her blood either. The wound on her left palm had since closed without a mark, and what little of her blood that had dripped to the ground had since drained into the soil, a mere catalyst to begin the ritual Rider needed to perform to assemble her host of unquiet spirits. After several moments, the blood pool reached up with blood-red tendrils that formed a smooth dome around the Servant, from her feet to her outreached finger…and was promptly vaporized by a bolt of lightning.

Rider emerged from the lightning strike unharmed; she remained unmoved, even as ghastly moans and screams began to echo through the air and ethereal figures ghosted across the park. Rider immediately held her hands flat against each other, and began to chant a spell in a long-forgotten tongue, causing the ghostly figures to agitate against each other. Horrific faces screamed at her from the shadows, but she ignored them. Across the city, sensitive sleepers moaned and trembled, as the rippling effect of Rider's spells caused dreams to turn into nightmares where the sleepers found themselves wandering strange realms of alien geometries inhabited by eldritch abominations beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. The torment finally ended when another bolt slashed downwards in an instant, completing the summoning.

Encased in gleaming plate armour adorned with sinister draconic emblems over black robes, Rider viewed her army of unquiet spirits with an experienced eye. Then, nodding with approval, she raised her left fist in salute, her crest glowing fiery red through her armour. And in response, the ghastly wraiths of those who died during the fiery end of the Fourth Holy Grail War bowed low to their mistress. Waving a hand, she dismissed them, the wraiths sinking into the ground to await their mistress' call in the shadows of the under-city, except for one wraith which floated towards the Servant.

"Kill the overseer…" Rider commanded, holding out a dagger towards the wraith. "…I don't trust that twisted priest, so better we eliminate him now and continue this war without further hindrance." Taking the dagger, the wraith bowed and vanished, carrying out its mistress' will.

"Now then…" Rider said, smiling dangerously as she summoned her steed to her side. "…let us ride forth and meet our foes on the battlefield."

* * *

"Archer, I'll leave the landing to you!" Rin shouted as she jumped off the school roof. Seemingly plummeting to her death on the cold concrete, she slowed and landed softly before running off to the side. "We need to fight him where we have the advantage…" she began to say when Lancer appeared just beside her. Jumping back with a curse, irritation turned into confidence when Archer materialized between her and Lancer.

"So, you're Archer aren't you?" Lancer said with a bloodthirsty smile. "You don't look so tough."

"Rin, what do you want me to do?" Archer asked. In response, the girl pointed a finger at Lancer, and shouted "Archer; show me your power!"

Materializing his favoured twin blades, Archer charged forward to meet Lancer's own charge, the Knight of the Lance shouting "An Archer wielding swords? Don't make me laugh!"

However, as the battle quickly progressed, Lancer's own disgust at Archer's attempt to mimic a swordsman vanished, to be replaced with acceptance and respect. Every strike and parry was precise and experienced, and Lancer found himself enjoying the battle with the red-cloaked Servant. "You're pretty good. Who are you really?" he asked.

"No one…" Archer replied. "…you, on the other hand, are quite easy to recognize."

Before either could continue the conversation, a gasp was heard across the school grounds, causing both Servants to break off and look towards the source of the sound. Realizing that he'd been spotted, Shiro broke and ran. "A witness…?" Lancer retorted, breaking off in pursuit.

Rin opened her mouth to give an order to Archer, but broke off at the sound of thundering hooves. At that moment, an armoured figure astride an armoured mount leapt over the school wall, thundering towards Archer at breakneck speed with a rune-sword held high. Archer had barely enough time to raise Kansho and Byakuya before Rider struck down, shattering both blades and driving Archer down to the ground. The mounted Servant slowed, and finally halted and watched impassively as Archer rose back up to his feet. She then pointed her sword at Rin and said "Girl, if you wish to save the witness' life, by all means get out of here already. My business is with your Servant."

"Archer…" Rin asked her Servant questioningly. After a moment, he nodded and said, "Go; by the feel of things, Lancer has mortally wounded the witness, but you might get there in time to save his life. If you do save him though, just don't forget to alter his memories."

"Right…I'll leave this to you then." Rin said before running off in pursuit of Lancer.

The two remaining Servants locked eyes, Archer noting the cold and disturbingly familiar red eyes of Rider through her draconic helm. After a moment, Rider raised her sword in salute, saying "I salute you, powerful one, for you are Archer, the Knight of the Bow. I am Rider, the Terror of the Battlefield, and I shall be your opponent!"

* * *

Kirei walked back to his church satisfied; watching from a safe distance, he had been impressed and disturbed by Rider's dark ritual, though it was strangely appropriate, given that it had taken place where the corrupted Grail of Fuyuki had once manifested. Furthermore, Rider was showing restraint so far, which meant that despite her rather sinister abilities she was at least somewhat rational.

A cold breeze blew in front of the church, and Kirei tensed instinctively. Sensing a presence he raised his arms upwards to block, simultaneously reinforcing them. Doing so probably saved his life; at that moment, a female wraith manifested above and behind him with a dagger raised to strike, his reinforced limbs allowing him to physically block the creature's ethereal arms. Snarling in anger, Kirei quickly grabbed the creature's arms and hurled it forwards before drawing his Black Keys. The creature righted itself impossible fast, and it lunged forwards stabbing with the dagger. Kirei dodged and struck at the same time, dispelling the spells that kept the creature in this world, causing it vanish with a shriek…and the dagger to fall to the ground.

Kirei was furious, though it quickly faded. While it was technically against the rules to attack the overseer, he was also, however, a Master. That last part naturally meant that he was fair game…and that Rider had somehow discovered this fact. However, all this faded into the back of his mind as he picked up the dagger and discovered a rather disturbing fact. It wasn't the fact that the dagger had been bound with an incredibly powerful curse, or the fact that the guard had a power-anchoring gem reminiscent of Zelretch or the Tohsaka's thaumaturgy located on it…it was the fact that the dagger at first touch seemed to have been touched by the Second Magic.

Rider could easily be behind this, but somehow Kirei began to think that he was meant to blame Rider…and overlook someone else. Someone who knew he was watching Rider summon her army, and wanted him to blame to her for this assassination attempt. Contemplating the suddenly complicated fabric of the war, Kirei hid the dagger and strode into the church…never realizing that Rider had deliberately predicted he would think in such a fashion, exonerating her of his immediate attentions.

* * *

Archer jumped high over Rider and landed a good distance from her; as she turned her steed sharply and charged towards him, he quickly imaged his favoured blades and threw them in a boomerang-like fashion toward his opponent. Swinging Dragon Fang in an experienced fashion, Rider deflected one blade and shattered the other…buying Archer enough time to project and alter Caladbolg before firing it at her.

To his surprise, Rider simply charged the shining bolt…and jumped over it. The arrow flew past the school for several hundred meters before striking an incomplete building and blowing it apart. Archer grimaced as he ducked and rolled forward; Rin was definitely going to chew him out for that later on. As Rider banked and attacked again, he projected Durandal and successfully blocked, though Rider's momentum forced him back. "Quite honourable, aren't you?" he quipped with a smirk. "Fighting a foot soldier from horseback…"

"I am merely fighting according to my strengths; you are deadly from a distance, with those arrows of yours. I, on the other hand, am deadly astride a steed." Rider responded. Something had changed though, Archer noted. Her eyes had softened, and from what he could see of her face through her draconic helm, she wore an expression of sadness and regret.

"Is something wrong?" Archer asked, unsure about whether or not this was a good or a bad thing.

"Is it fate that your existence be one of sadness and regret?" Rider asked softly, almost to herself.

"What was that?" Archer said in surprise. That was not what he expected from the mounted Servant.

"Projection magic of the highest degree…as I thought, you are him…you are him from another life…" she said, looking at him sadly. "…tell me, Archer: would you sacrifice your ideals for the one you love?"

Archer's eyes widened as memories flashed through his mind, memories of a strong-willed, blonde woman with bright blue eyes, smiling at him under a blue sky. "You…do you know who I am?" he asked angrily through gritted teeth.

Sighing, Rider merely sheathed her sword and turned to ride away. "I don't feel like fighting you anymore tonight. In the end we're the same; people who ended up living lives filled with regret and sadness. The only difference is that I eventually found peace. Goodbye for now, Archer."

"Wait, Rider!" Archer shouted, but the mounted Servant had already ridden away into the night.

* * *

A/N

Yes, I know the reason Shiro was cleaning the shed in canon was because Shinji asked him too. However, here Shinji was, well, incapacitated by Rider, so the reason Shiro was cleaning the shed was because Mitsuzuri kindly asked him to. Shiro being Shiro, he ended up obliging her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

Chapter 3: Memories

_The two armies clashed against each other along the riverbanks and on the river itself, the water fouled by mud and gore, while the screaming of horses, the cries of the dying, the ring of steel crashing against steel, the boom of cannons, the barking of muskets, the sizzle of magic, and the splashing of mud, blood, and water filled the air._

_On one side, white banners bearing crimson crosses stood alongside multi-coloured banners displaying noble crests, while on the other, unmarked red banners fluttered mournfully in the fitful breeze. Armoured foot soldiers armed with halberds, spears, and swords clashed against each other in desperate, close-quarters combat, while musketeers, archers, and crossbowmen exchanged sporadic fire with each other. Knights of both sides were locked in a deadly dance, lance-to-lance, sword-to-sword, while magi shimmered with power as they struggled to overpower their opposites on the battlefield._

"_Damn it!" Rider said angrily, turning a swordsman's strike aside with her shield before cutting him down diagonally from shoulder to hip; her long black hair was matted with blood and mud, her armour rent, and she had lost her helm. Still, Dragon Fang's runes glowed dull red, as power flowed from its master into the weapon, eager to spill and drink the blood of her foes._

"_Where the hell is the Sky Marshall? They should be here by now!" she raged, as she eviscerated another swordsman before beheading him with a backhanded strike._

"_They're on the way, vampire…in time to bury your corpses!" a knight wearing the emblems of the Holy Empire shouted as he thundered towards her, a massive sword chained to his fist. Snarling, she blocked with enough force to hurl the knight from his horse, but was unable to finish him off in time as a halberdier came against her. Impatient, she stopped the man's heart with a single glance of her Mystic Eyes, even as the knight rose to his feet and attacked her, spitting out prayers and curses. Dodging his wild strokes and noting the mindless zeal in the man's eyes, the vampire's lips curled with disdain. Knocking the man back, she raised Dragon Fang and swung it down hard, the knight raising his own sword to block her strike. It was of good craftsmanship, solid and strong, forged in consecrated forges. Dragon Fang was old, so old that few now remembered where and when the sword was forged, and how. It cut through her opponent, through flesh, steel, and bone with terrifying ease, the knight crumpling dead before her._

_Rider surveyed the battlefield around her; the combined armies of the Holy Empire and the Free Principalities clashing against the North European Army of the Kingdom, which has hard-pressed to hold the line. She cursed to herself, realizing the sky-borne armadas of the Sky Kingdoms must have been delayed by magical means. Still, the field was hardly lost; if the Dog of Gaea had been allowed to rampage, the battle would have been over before it even started. But the giant dog was standing paralyzed to the side, while seven figures stood around it in a rough circle, their fists clenched, eyes closed, teeth gritted and faces contorted in effort. Counter-Guardians; Rider had no idea why Alaya had seen fit to assist them, but she wasn't about to turn down the help._

_Looking to the centre of the battlefield, she saw two otherworldly figures battling it out for supremacy. One wore the armour of royalty with a silvered crown affixed to her helm, blonde, shoulder-length hair barely visible under her helm, wielding a two-handed sword with utter perfection. The other was a parody of a princess, her armour and helm decorated with cruel, jagged spikes, her long black hair dirty with blood and gore, wielding a mace two-handed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Where Princess Arcueid was cold as ice, Princess Altrouge was enraged beyond rationality, as her slightly superior power was cut off, Gaea refusing to support either in this clash for the Vampire Throne, and her greatest asset – the Dog of Gaia – had been taken from her by the Counter-Guardians of Humanity._

_Rider's attention however was quickly drawn to a black armoured knight that was cutting its way towards her with a massive sword: Black Knight Strout, the Sixth Dead Apostle Ancestor, and the last of Princess Altrouge's bodyguards. "Just perfect…I'm so tired already…" she muttered, tightening her grip on her sword and shield._

_The first blow sent her staggering back several steps, and forcing her to reinforce her shield, which was destroyed by his second strike. The third strike was barely parried by Dragon Fang, but Rider was sent flying by the blow several feet, crashing to the ground stunned by the blow. As the Black Knight slowly approached her with his sword raised, Rider saw Van-Fem desperately struggling to reach her from the corner of her eye. "No good…" she whispered; her strength gone, she waited for the Black Knight to finish her off…until she saw Princess Arcueid go down, her sister on top of and strangling her. As the Black Knight swung his sword down to end her life, fire burned through her veins, and roaring in fury, she swung Dragon Fang in desperation…and cutting off both of the Black Knight's forearms, his sword stabbing into the ground just inches from her head. Roaring in pain and anger, the Black Knight sank to his knees, while Rider ran towards the two princesses._

_Ignoring the suicidal implications, she stabbed Princess Altrouge in the back with a two-handed downward stroke, causing her to cry out in pain and to lash out with a back-handed blow that sent Rider flying. Before she could even begin to recover from the force of the impact, Princess Altrouge was before her, ignoring Dragon Fang sticking through her body; lifting Rider off the ground with a choke hold, she stabbed forward with a hand, piercing Rider's chest and destroying her heart. As blood poured out of her mouth, Rider smiled…as at the same time Princess Arcueid grabbed her from behind, extended her fangs, and bit down hard on her neck._

_Princess Altrouge gasped in shock, but was unable to fight back: her sister held onto her tightly from behind, while her other arm was locked in a vice-like grip by the dying Dead Apostle before her. Princess Arcueid fed hungrily, her hair quickly growing longer, until it reached down to her knees. Then with a roar of triumph, she tore her dying sister in half, Rider sliding off of Princess Altrouge's limp arm as her corpse crumbled into dust._

"_LADY ALTROUGE!" the Black Knight shouted as he attacked Princess Arcueid, swinging his sword down towards her head…only for her to grab him by the wrist, and to look at him with her Mystic Eyes. Her irises weren't gold anymore…they were rainbow-coloured. With the crack of air rushing in to fill a vacuum, the Black Knight vanished in an instant, leaving a bleeding arm impotently holding a sword behind as his very existence was crushed from reality._

"_No…no…!" Princess Arcueid shouted, kneeling down beside the fallen Dead Apostle and embracing her as Van-Fem and Merem arrived and began to slaughter the Holy Imperial Knights closing in on them. "…don't die…I order you not to die!"_

"…" _Rider was silent, no longer possessing the strength to speak; it was funny, the same person who had turned her into a Dead Apostle had also ended her existence. In the past, before she had met Princess Arcueid, she would probably have welcomed the end of her existence. But not anymore; she had to live. For the sake of all the people who held her dear in this time and age – Princess Arcueid, Lord Van-Fem, Lord Merem Solomon, and many others besides – she had to live. And at that moment, she remembered another woman who had sought to change something that could not have been changed otherwise…and a hero was born._

* * *

Sakura's eyes flashed open, shaken into wakefulness by the soft sound of her door opening. Normally, that would mean Shinji coming to vent his frustrations against her, but whatever Rider did to him apparently had a lasting effect. He actually seemed to be afraid of her, and Sakura wasn't exactly sure how she should feel about it.

"Rider…?" she asked, and after a moment, the door closed and Rider replied "Yes, it's me. Sorry if I woke you."

Sakura shook her head. "No, it's alright."

Rider inclined her head, and after a moment, sat down beside Sakura and placed an arm around her shoulders, causing the girl to place her head onto her Servant's shoulder. "What's wrong? You seem preoccupied about something. Did Shinji do something to you? I swear, that boy never learns."

"I saw your memories…" Sakura said softly, cutting Rider off. "…that bloody river, your princess weeping as you lay dying in her arms…Rider, what is your wish?"

Rider was silent for a few moments before she sighed and replied "My wish…my wish is to survive that battle, and be with them again. Those important to me…I don't want them to be sad, even if it means losing my place on the Throne of Heroes. To be with them…yes, that is worth more to me than a paltry place on the Throne." Pausing, she looked at Sakura and smiled. "But don't worry; I won't hurt the innocent to get my wish. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not that kind of person."

"No, I don't think you are." Sakura said, sleep washing over her again. As her Master fell asleep, she laid her back on her bed and tucked her in. Then walking over to the window, she looked up to the moon.

"_She sees my memories…_" Rider thought to herself. "_…this might get troublesome. Oh well, it's not like I can do anything about it. What will happen, will happen; I might as well make the best of this situation although it's not like I haven't been doing that already. And if things do get sticky, I suppose I can stop using necromancy. I haven't done that since before I met Princess Arcueid._"

* * *

_Rider walked down a deserted road, the moonlight wan and sickly through the clouds overhead. She paused, and then turned to look over her shoulder. "What is it? What do you want?"_

"_Touchy, aren't we?" a blonde woman in a white and blue dress said, walking out of the shadows around the nearby trees. "I certainly hope you don't act like that around your 'mother'."_

_Rider snorted. "You mean Altrouge Brunestud? Yes, she turned me into a Dead Apostle, but I have no love for her. And you didn't answer my question: what do you want, Arcueid Brunestud?"_

"_Then let us get to the point." Arcueid said, walking closer. "I seek to create a new kingdom, one to change the world for the better, and I'd like your help with that."_

"_And why should I even help you to begin with?"_

"_I had a lover once, long ago." Arcueid said, looking up to the sky with a look of sadness and longing on her face. "He was Human, just like you were once."_

"_And what does that have to do with anything?" Rider countered, surprised but unimpressed by Arcueid's story._

"_He knew what I was." Arcueid answered, causing Rider's eyes to widen. "And he didn't care. That's why I want to build a new kingdom, one wherein our kind and the Humans can live peacefully together."_

"_Can that even be done? It's not that I don't approve; I think it's an excellent idea, though somewhat idealistic and requiring a great deal of work to bring about. Furthermore, what of the magi? They will not support your goal, as will the Holy Empire."_

"_The Sky Kingdoms are willing to stand with me, as does the Magic Foundation in the Middle East and the many schools here in Asia. They have no love for the old Association in Britannia, or their associates in the Free Principalities of the North. Many of the Free Nations are also willing to join us once we prove our strength to the world." Arcueid extended a hand towards her. "Join me, and let us create a new world together, just like the True Ancestors and the Dead Apostles were meant to from the very beginning."_

_After a moment, Rider sighed and smiling sadly, said "To be honest, I'm not sure if I can be of much help to you in my current state."_

"_That's probably true." Arcueid conceded with a nod. "But we can change that as well as we move forward."_

"_Do you really think I haven't tried in the past seven centuries?"_

"_No, but you haven't had any real motivations to change yourself, have you?" Arcueid said, causing a surprised Rider to look at her sharply. "Don't be so hard on yourself; you are not alone. You are not alone in knowing the pain of losing those whom you love."_

_After another moment, Rider reached out and took the offered hand. "I don't know why, but somehow, for the first time in centuries I feel like I have a motivation to actually go and do something. I do not know how much I can do for you, but know this: all I have, and all I can do, is yours."_

* * *

Sakura yawned as she basked in the morning sunlight streaming through her window; she seemed to be getting used to her figuratively lighter body, and wondered how else she could use that to her advantage in her day-to-day life. At the very least she didn't have to worry about any more urges of that sort nowadays.

After taking a shower and putting on her uniform, she went downstairs and to her surprise found Rider sprawled out on the couch asleep. Deciding not to wake her, she quietly slipped out and went to buy things for breakfast at a nearby supermarket before heading to her senpai's house. En route, she ran into someone unexpected: her sister, Rin. Looking surprised for a moment, Rin smiled and greeted her "Good morning, Sakura-san."

"Good morning to you as well, Tohsaka-senpai." She responded politely. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I'm just taking a morning walk, that's all. Even I go out of my house from time to time, you know. Bye..." she said, walking away.

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she watched her sister walk away. "The smell of blood." She whispered to herself.

"That's to be expected; after all, that girl is a Master as well." Rider said from behind Sakura, causing the girl to jump in surprise. "I confronted her Servant, Archer, last night. And more importantly, I can't believe you left the house without waking me up. What if you were attacked before I could get here?"

"I could easily summon you to my side in case of emergency." Sakura countered, somewhat unhappy about being surprised.

"At the cost of one of your Command Spells though." Rider responded, though she dropped the matter at that point. As they entered the Bounded Field around the Emiya Estate, Rider narrowed her eyes and stopped.

"Rider, is something wrong?" Sakura asked in concern.

"This is…a Servant!"

"What…but that means…senpai is…!" Sakura said in horror, before running into the house, dropping the groceries onto the ground. Cursing Sakura's impetuous charge, Rider quickly followed, picking up the groceries on the way.

"Senpai…!" Sakura shouted as she ran into the kitchen, where she found Shiro washing his hands.

"Good morning Sakura." Shiro greeted Sakura, and the girl sighed in relief…only for a blonde haired woman in blue and white to run into the kitchen.

"Shiro, there's a Servant in the house!" she said, causing the boy to cringe.

"Obviously, and only partly correct; there are two Servants in the house." Rider said, walking into the kitchen and putting the groceries on the table. Then, turning to Sakura, she flicked her lightly on the forehead. "Your concern for young Emiya is touching, but do try not to let it get to you." She said in a chiding fashion.

"Rider; what are you doing here?" Sabre asked, aggressively taking up her stance.

"Oh lighten up, Sabre." Rider said, looking at the other Servant's invisible sword with distaste. "My Master is a friend of your Master, so I have no intention of fighting you."

"Sabre…" Shiro said, speaking up. "…lower your sword. I've already met Rider, and she doesn't seem that bad. In any case, it's daytime, so…"

"Very well, Shiro…" Sabre finally said, lowering her sword and glaring at the other Servant. "…but I'm warning you, Rider. One wrong move and I cut you down."

Rider shrugged. "As you wish." She said, sitting down at the table. A moment later, Sabre followed suit, sitting at the opposite side of the table, while a flustered Sakura and Shiro went into the kitchen and cooked breakfast together, whispering heatedly between each other. "By the way, Sabre, I have a proposition for you."

"What is it?"

"Unfriendly, aren't we? I was just wondering if you'd be interested in forming an alliance with me and Sakura." Rider continued with a crafty smile.

"Seeing as we're bound to confront each other sooner or later, I fail to see the need to do so, even in the short term. Doing so would only make things harder in the end." Sabre said flatly.

"Ah, but that's only because you think the Holy Grail needs six Servants to fall in order to fulfil its function." Rider said triumphantly, causing not just Sabre's eyes, but also those of Sakura and Shiro's, to widen in surprise. "While the Grail is indeed designed to function as such, there is another function known only to the Tohsaka, the Matou, and the von Einzbern: namely that when all seven Servants are killed, the Grail will open a passageway to Akasha."

"Akasha, what's that?" Shiro asked in surprise even as both Sabre and Sakura gasped.

"Akasha…the Root of All Creation, the Origin of All Things…" Sakura breathed. "…the source of True Magic."

"Indeed…" Rider nodded. "…normally Alaya would destroy any Human who sought to touch Akasha, but the Grail is designed to take advantage of the Second Magic – something beyond the limitations of the World – in order to prevent that. In fact that is how the Grail is able to grant wishes: while six Servants cannot provide enough power to open the passageway to Akasha, it is enough to link with it, giving the Grail temporary omnipotence with which to grant wishes. However, my point is that by studying the diagrams of the Holy Grail in the Matou documents, I have discovered that five Servants are enough to grant wishes provided the wishes are within the limitations of the world. As my wish is simply to erase my Heroic Legend by preventing my death on that bloody river seven centuries from now, and yours is merely to re-write your past, I think we can come to an arrangement, don't you?"

Sabre's eyes were cold and narrow as she asked "Just who are you, Rider?"

"I'm nobody; just a Rider-class Servant and a vampire who wishes to return to her mistress' side." Rider replied with a mysterious smile.

Sakura and Shiro looked at each other as the tension between their Servants grew to the point as to be almost tangible. The tension was finally broken when the kitchen door slammed open as Fujimura Taiga made her usual introduction. "Shiro, I came to eat! Oh…we have another guest?"

"Oh, Fujimura-san…" Rider said, turning to face Taiga. "…this is a colleague of mine from Britannia. Her name is Sabre. Sabre, this is Fujimura Taiga." From the corner of her eye, she saw Shiro sigh in relief, and both Sakura and Sabre nod in gratitude to her.

"My apologies for imposing…" Sabre said, with a polite nod of her head. "…as Rider said, I'm from Britain. You may call me Sabre."

"Nice to meet you, Sabre-san." Taiga returned the introduction, though inwardly she was mourning the fact that she had to share breakfast with even more people. Any further conversation was broken off when the doorbell rang. "I'll go and see who it is." Taiga said before heading back to the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see a blonde eight-year old waiting for the door to open.

"Hello…" the boy said cheerfully. "…is Sabre in?"

"Fujimura-san…" Sabre said, walking down the hallway. "…Shiro said that…" Before she could say anymore, she was knocked down to the ground as the blonde kid launched himself at her with a shout of joy.

"Sabre; I've missed you so much! What took you so long to get back!" the kid blabbered in a child-like high-speed fashion as he happily hugged her with his head on her chest, while Sabre could only look on with a surprised expression while spluttering "Wha-wha-wha-"

"Oh my; I didn't know you had a little brother in this town, Sabre-san." Taiga said, closing the door behind her.

"Wha…I don't have…" Sabre spluttered, and Taiga, misunderstanding, said "Oh? Is he your son then?"

Sabre turned beet red as Rider laughed hard from down the hallway. "Fujimura-san…I'll take care of this. You can go back to the dining room." She said, her Mystic Eyes glowing brightly.

"Alright…" Taiga said wistfully, heading back to the dining room. Once the other woman had left, Rider looked back to where Sabre was trying (without much success) to get the blonde child off of her. Bringing her heels together, and bowing in cavalry fashion, she said "Greetings, King of Heroes."

* * *

A/N

All of Rider's memories portrayed here take place approximately seven centuries after the events of Fate/Stay Night. WWIII (known in-universe as the Great War) took place two centuries before the events in the flashbacks, and together with the immediate aftermath saw the Human population drop from six billion to barely one-and-a-half billion, and civilization to regress (largely) to late-medieval/early-renaissance levels.

Major factions of that time include the Holy Empire, centred on Rome and controlling the continental Western Europe (basically the Church), the Free Principalities (basically territories under the influence of aristocracies with affiliations to the Mages Association and its branches) – Britannia, Northern Europe, most of Eastern Europe, Russia, and parts of the Middle East – the Kingdom (ruled by Arcueid Brunestud) centred on the Royal City of Atlas (formerly known simply as Atlas in Egypt), the technologically advanced (and magically heretical as far as the Association is concerned) Sky Kingdoms, and the Free Nations.

I'll give more information on the 'World of Tomorrow' (or the fanfic world of seven centuries hence) in the next chapter.


End file.
